Twins
by purpleflavour
Summary: #4. Relationships aren't static, and he was a fool to think this would last. Yukio/Rin oneshot collection, all ratings
1. Twins

**NOTE:** this is a oneshot collection filled with hints of Yukio/Rin. some chapters will be FLUFFY, some will be TRAGIC/SAD, some will be full of ROMANCE. read the summaries and/or warnings for each chapter. this will be updated sporadically whenever I happen to write a drabble.

**summary: **They look nothing like twins.**  
>disclaimer<strong>: I don't own AnE

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><p><strong>Twins<strong>

Often times, Fujimoto looks at his two 'sons' and wonders if they were even born from the same mother. One, a brown-haired boy with glasses and three strange moles, the calm and quiet child bullied for his intelligence. The other, a loud, if slightly slower, blue-haired trickster that doesn't know the limits of his own strength. They were like the sky and sea – seemingly alike and close together, but so very different from one another.

However, as he watched the younger one bandage the scrapes and bruises of the other –

_"Ouch! Not so hard, Yukio!"_

_"Sorry, nii-san. Really, you shouldn't get into so many fights anymore…"_

_"Well, it's not my fault! Did you hear what those jerks said? 'Four-eyes nerd' my ass!"_

"Rin! Language!"

He can't help but think that the two eight-year-olds were the most adorable things ever.

_"Stop, stop! Let go of me!"_

_"I would if you'd just," grunt, "stay," grunt, "STILL."_

"My, who knew Yukio had his strong forceful side too? Is Rin's attitude rubbing off on you, Yukio?"

Two pairs of blue eyes – one, bright as the summer sky; the other, the blue-green of an ocean – glared balefully up at him. "What are you implying, tou-san?" Yukio asked with a deceptively kind smile as his hands reached for the bottle of pepper spray in his pockets – the one that he had given him, that little brat! _"Just in case the bullies bother you again, Yukio!"_

Rin was much less subtle in his anger. He cracked his knuckles threateningly and growled, "Do you want a black eye too, old man?"

"No, no," Fujimoto held out his hands in a placating gestures. "I just meant- I mean- Umm…" The two boys advanced with evil looks on their faces. "Ahh! Is that the ice-cream truck I hear? Here boys, five dollars for you each. Go get a cone or something. Hurry up before it leaves!"

The two boys faces brightened and they took the offered coins with grubby hands and raced outside shouting with glee.

Fujimoto wiped the sweat off his brow. _'Crisis averted.'_

Rin and Yukio may not look like twins, but they're certainly brothers.

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><p><strong>an:** it... evolved?


	2. The Spaces Between

**summary**: It's too small, too insignificant, these feelings. They don't matter - until you learn to read the spaces between.  
><strong>warnings: <strong>sex is implied. angst ensues. sort of disconnected, but sort of flowing at the same time. read at your own discretion.**  
>disclaimer<strong>: still don't own anything

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><p><strong>The Spaces Between<strong>

You were always in his shadow.

You gasp into the pillow, feeling the pain blur into blissful rapture, letting the nameless face take his pleasure from you.  
>John?<br>Jack?  
>George?<br>Yeah, that's it. George.  
>George collapses on top of you, but you ignore the heavy weight forcing the life from your lungs. You ignore it when George's body is jerked away and the soft thuds of clothing being thrown around and the harsh, threatening whispers of an overprotective sibling. You ignore it all to savour the last remnants of the high before the ride's over. You ignore everything until you take the first breath of cold air and feel the jarring reality settle in. You shift and wince at the ache. You run a careful eye over your body and catalog the slight discolourations on your body. There will be bruises left this time. You notice that you are alone. Nothing has changed.<p>

Maybe you're a masochist for wanting this.  
>Maybe he's a masochist for believing you'll stop after catching you for the fourth fifth ninth time.<br>Maybe it's genetic.  
>It doesn't matter.<br>It never mattered.

There is no one.  
>There is no one that wants you.<br>There is no one that sees you.  
>There is no one that wants to see you.<br>There is no one.

"Who was that guy last night, nii-san?"  
>"I don't know," you reply honestly, taking a bite out of your burnt piece of toast, face blank and numb from the aspirins. He looks at you knowingly.<p>

Maybe except him. He was always the perfect one. Everyone likes him.  
>Everyone.<br>Including you.  
>You try very hard to resent him, but the problem is that it's impossible when he was so nice, so charismatic, so gentle, so firm, so responsible, so loving, so everything you're not and everything you wish to be. Maybe he should have been the one born first, the one to take the role of the elder twin. Then he'll finally be first in everything. But he'll never hold anything against you. He'll be all nice and charismatic and gentle and-<br>See the problem?

"Why did you jump in front of me? It was a reckless thing to do. I had everything under control."  
>You stare at him with scrutiny. That's right. You don't know this new person anymore.<br>"But regardless, we're both alive, so that's one thing to be thankful, I guess. Here, let me take a look at your hand."

He was always the bigger person.  
>He always saved the day.<br>He was always the hero.  
>It was okay - you didn't mind him hogging the spotlight; but what did that make you? The sidekick?<br>Or the villain?

"What do you think you'll be able to accomplish? You're just one person, and an injured one at that," he said, closing the door with a resolute frown.  
>You bristle at his tone, but you pay him no attention as you try to pull some pants on and take off the hospital gown. "I'm trying to fix my mistakes. Now get out of my way."<br>He gives an unintelligible yell of frustration. "You're _hurt_, Rin! You'll get yourself killed out there! Don't you get it? You're the only one-" He stops himself abruptly.

Your hands stop.  
>A hollow chuckle bursts from your lips and suddenly you can't stop laughing. You don't know what the joke is, but you suddenly find this hilarious. This.<br>(It's mostly just to fill up the silence, so you don't have to feel the full weight of his anger and disappointment in those eyes.)

He slaps you.  
>It was loud.<br>(The sound echoes around you, mocking.)  
>It was harmless.<br>(A light sting burns your cheek.)  
>It was degrading.<br>(You're not even worth the effort to hurt.)

You punch him back.  
>It was quiet.<br>(You relish in the dull satisfying thud as your fist meets his face.)  
>It was painful.<br>(You watch as the skin turns purple. He had always bruised easily.)  
>It was to show him that you've grown up.<br>(But you're still a kid. After all, you're only fourteen.)

He glares at you and growls, "Fine. Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore." The door slams shut behind him.

Your eyes burn at the brightness of his success.  
>(Or maybe from the loss of his respect? You decide not to dwell on it.)<br>Maybe that's why you turn to the shadows.  
>Maybe.<p>

You were always in his shadow, but it doesn't matter –  
>You belong in the shadows anyways.<p>

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><p><strong>an:** trying something new. don't mind me.


	3. The world is your stage

**summary: **Put on your mask and smile. Smile, because it's the only thing you can do. Let the whole world be your stage.**  
>warnings: <strong>angst-ish? (Yukio has problems)  
><strong>notes: <strong>companion piece/sequel-ish to The Spaces Between. Yukio POV, 2nd person, choppy flow style.**  
>disclaimer: <strong>still don't own Ao no Exorcist. (I realize that I have been spelling the fandom wrong for the longest time. Just ignore me.)

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><p><strong>The world is your stage<br>**

When you don't know what to do, you smile.  
><em>(-When you smile, you have no idea what you're doing.)<em>  
>You have your brother to blame for this unconscious habit.<br>Or maybe you should thank him.

It started when you were just six, when you first started school.

On the first day, you returned home with a black eye and bruised knees.

On the second day, you learned that the boys who had beat you up were admitted to the hospital the night before with broken bones. Rin was suspended. You always knew your brother would do anything for you, but this was the first time _(-that you remember)_ seeing the lengths your twin would go to protect you. When you confronted your twin, he told you that to love someone was to do anything, sacrifice anything, no matter the consequences, to see them happy. He told you to laugh in the face of adversity, and like the obedient, awe-struck, little brother you were, you followed his advice.

On the third day, when the older boys at your school had made fun of you, you smiled.  
>When they snapped your glasses, you smiled.<br>When they tackled you to the ground and punched you in the gut, you smiled.

The bullies never bothered you again after that day.

It's fitting, really, that a smile could be such a weapon.  
>It can turn the tides of battles, of wars, before they even begin.<br>It can melt the icy cold hearts of misguided souls who deserve a second chance.  
>It can convince someone that nothing's wrong.<br>But then you'll be pointing the gun at yourself, no?

You can't claim to be the master at smiles. No, the title would be held by your brother. The twin that craves attention, but doesn't know how to deal with it.

He thinks that no one notices him, but really, he's the only thing everyone ever talks about.

"Where's Rin-san today, Yuki-chan?"  
>"Sensei, that stupid dumbass doesn't deserve to be here!"<br>"Okumura-kun, you know best. Will that demon pose a risk to the mission?"

He comes back to your shared room, not five hours after being admitted to the hospital, covered with blood. (What a surprise. He ignored your advice. Again.) You look up from correcting assignments and stare.  
>And stare.<br>"Not all of it's mine," he assures you.  
>You are not assured.<p>

"You know, nii-san, there's a reason why I had to learn how to handle a gun when I was eight," you say calmly, putting down your pen. "Satan has a lot of enemies, and they won't hesitate to kill people like us."  
><em>Devil spawn like us.<em>  
>"Maybe you should be more careful next time."<br>_Next time, you might end up dead._

He visibly stiffens, then stalks over to your seat by the desk and slams his sword on your papers. "I've gone through this with you," he growls, invading your personal space. "I'm fixing my mistakes, and I'm fixing them _my_ way! I'm not going to die just because you're not there to save my ass! I don't need you babying me!"

Sometimes, you can't help think that he is a spoiled brat.  
>After all, he's not Satan's only son.<p>

"Please don't take this the wrong way, nii-san, but I love you."  
>He looks confused. "What? I love you too, but what does this have to do with-"<p>

You reach into the holsters strapped to your waist and pull out a gun. You imagine that the barrel feels frigid on his forehead.  
>He freezes.<br>It must be cold, then.  
>"W-What do you think you're doing," he stutters, eyes darting futilely to his sword on the table behind you.<p>

You smile.

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><p><strong>an:** whatisthisidon'teven-  
>so i lied. hope you're happy. this style is fun to write, but receives harsh critiques from my real-life reader and it makes me feel like an idiot. probably the last of this type of thing.<br>was listening to 浮誇 by Eason Chan when i wrote this. if you understand cantonese (or just look up the english translation to the chinese lyrics), go listen to it. really deep stuff.


	4. We're not static

**summary: **Relationships aren't static, and he was a fool to think this would last.**  
><strong>**disclaimer: **I don't own AnE

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><p><strong>We're not static<strong>

"I'm telling you, it's haunted!"

An eleven-year-old Yukio sighed impatiently. "It's not haunted, Rin," he admonished the older twin in a tone that was beginning to grate on Rin's nerves.

Ever since his and the old man's return from the summer break where they had just upped and left him alone at the shrine, Yukio had been acting strangely. Strangely, as in I-know-something-you-don't-and-it's-annoying-how-you-can't-figure-the-secret-out-based-on-the-non-existent-clues-I've-been-giving-you-since-I-clearly-can't-actually-tell-you-the-secret-myself strange. As if he had anything to complain about. He wasn't the one who had been abandoned without notice for an entire month and a half while their guardian and twin brother had been off romping about on an adventure without him. Even though they felt that Rin wasn't special enough, as a member of the family he should be entitled to some things - like the benefit of the doubt from his own biological twin, for starters.

Rin glared at his brother. "It's haunted," he repeated slowly and loudly, trying to pound that statement into his brother's head. "I've been there before. _At night._ And let me tell you, there's something wrong with that place."

A frown was beginning to break free of Yukio's previously serene expression. "What will convince you that nothing's wrong with the old Wakazashi Mansion? Just because you don't know the entire story doesn't mean you should go rushing headlong into danger, and at night no less with no supervision. Can't you just slow down and listen to someone other than yourself for once-"

"No, you listen!" Rin shouted. "I know _plenty_, and it's not because I've been whispering behind closed doors with the old man. Have you seen or heard or done the things I have, huh? Unlike you, I've actually staked out the place and went inside and everything, and..." Here, Rin fidgeted, a look of unease flitting over his features. "There... You haven't... I swear, it almost sounded like someone was... It was like hearing someone being tortured to death and not being able to do anything about it. People have disappeared in there, Yukio."

A prolonged silence stretched between them, and Rin thought what he was saying was finally getting through to his brother. Then, "What difference does it make?"

It took a while for Rin's mind to process the words that had just come out of Yukio's mouth. Innocent, helpful, kind Yukio. This isn't Yukio, Rin thought dazedly. _This isn't Yukio._

Blue-green eyes, unreadable and eerie in its maturity, stared calmly back at him as Rin gaped and floundered about for a response. "What can you do to stop that which you don't even understand?"

Rin's jaw snapped shut and a furious flush spread over his cheeks. "I _understand_ more than you do!" It was the first thing that came to mind, and he wished he could take it back the moment he said it, because even he could tell how immature and utterly weak that sounded.

The worst thing was, Yukio didn't even get angry. Instead, he looked at Rin with pitying eyes. "Why did you bring this up, Rin?" He asked quietly.

Rin opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Why _did_ he do it? It wasn't as if they could actually do anything about it. Yukio seemed to pick up on his thoughts. "I know you're feeling lonely Rin, and I'm sorry otou-san and I have been spending so much time together, but to make something so preposterous up just for some attention... I thought better of you."

Those last words were the last straw. "Oh don't give me that_ crap_," Rin spat, ignoring the look of mild horror on Yukio's face at his language. "Don't think you know me so well,_ otouto-kun_. And since when did you drop the 'nii-san', hm? Am I not worthy of the title now that_ otou-san_ likes you better?" The words tasted bitter in his mouth, but he knew it was the truth. He closed his eyes and gave a self-deprecated little chuckle, ignoring the tingle behind his eyelids. "When have I become so worthless to you?"

The warm, strong hug startled him. "You're not worthless, Rin-nii-san," Yukio whispered fiercely into his ear. Rin tried to struggle out of his arms, but Yukio held on tight. Finally, he gave up and sagged into his brother's embrace.

"I just don't get you anymore," Rin confessed softly, raggedly. "We never spend anymore time together... And you've changed so much without me noticing..."

Yukio let go of him and looked him in the eye. "One day, you'll understand."

Rin was beginning to think he never will.

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><p><strong>an:** something to help me get out of this funk. I'M NOT MAKING SENSE ANYMORE /shot.  
>more writing tomorrow.<p>

AND, I am open to requests! think of it as a late Christmas present from me to you :squishes:**  
><strong>


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